Kiev 88CM

Review Date
January 23, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by
hudi82 , Expert

Price Paid
$0.00

Photography Experience
6-10 years , People

Summary
This is a very nice camera that gets wow when walking i a crowd. There are quite a few nice surprises and some expected shortcomes. I bought this 1 year ago on ebay for 250$ with the spot TTL prism and 1 back. I soon got another back and the waist level finder. Now I rarely use my Kiev 60.

When I got my first back, there was a light leak from where the insert goes in because the hard paper that seals it had broken off and I repaired this cheaply (you can actually DIY). The new back had no problems at all.

The inside of the camera was already flocked and the cloth shutter ran smoothly, I hadn't notice any inconsistancies as I did on my Kiev 60.

I have all the Carl Zeiss lenses with MC (I even got the 65mm in silver, though its in a pretty bad shape). However there are problems when mounting the 180mm and 300mm Sonnars. The problem is that the locking ring is too tall and the Sonnars sit on top of it and can't be fully inserted, the solutions are:
- machine down the locking ring by ~1mm - not a easy task
- machine the locking ring to increase the diameter - not easy too
- machine down the Sonnars plate by ~1mm - easier
I didn't do anything yet and I just don't use those 2 lenses.

Also the DOF preview lever on 50mm & 65mm Flektogon and 80mm Biometar has to be taken off because it gets caught in the locking ring - I had it done free by my service man - now I don't have DOF :-(

The CZJ lenses are really sweet, the quality is awesome and optically are very good, I used them on Nikon D200 and the results are:

- 30mm Arsat - good performer, contrast and color is medium, but for 200$ its worth every penny.
- 50mm Flektogon - SHAAAAAAARP at any aperture, color is beautiful
- 65mm Flektogon - good performer (mine was pretty badly scratched, should be quite good if in good condition)
- 80mm Biometar - so so, resolution was OK but not amazing (mine has a lot of small dust inside - probably the cause)
- 120mm Biometar - soft wide open, quite good stepped down (not awesome but does hold a good value)
- 180mm Sonnar - VERY good performer, softer wide open, brilliant color.
- 300mm Sonnar - Very good - similar to the 180, maybe a bit softer

The metering prism is too big and heavy, I never use it unless its on a tripod. I can get the same result using the waist level finder which is brighter and much much lighter. DONT buy the new WLF cause the glass inside is of the wrong diopter and focuses 1cm too short, so you WILL get dizzy by looking at it. I also got the 4x magnifier - DONT buy it - there is no way you can see the entire frame cause it vingettes and the field of view is too small unless you're farsighted and can focus that thing out. The camera is pretty badly machined so its hard to pull out the viewers - I put some grease on the rail.

The back is quite nice and easy in loading, I'm going to get a 4.5x6 soon to check that out. Do get the NT version, its well made and have a place to put the dark slides.

So in the end, its a nice system with many accesories and very nice lenses. However its not that cheap compared to used Bronicas and Mamiyas and the lenses are of similar prices too. Its a logical thing if you have a Kiev 60, not so obvious if youre new. I got this cause I had 2 Kiev 60s when the prices for Bronica and Mamiya were still high and I slowly got all my CZJ lenses. Now its just a waste to change to a new system since I got pretty much everything.

Strengths
- very good lenses
- can use the 30mm Arsat
- relatively cheap - but there are other alternatives
- looks like Hasselblad
- interchangable everything

Weaknesses
- not so cheap
- questionable reliability (although I never had a problem yet)
- no DOF lever
- no MLU (newer ones have)
- focal plane shutter => slow flash sync - 1/30s
- possible light leaks

Similar Products Used
Kiev 60

Review Date
October 27, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.11 of 5, 9 votes

Reviewed by
SJ Park , Expert

Price Paid
$699.00 at kievusa

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Outdoor

Summary
My Kiev 88cm is with MLU function that is very easy to be worked and simple.
I've heard so much reviews for 88cm before I buy Kiev 88cm.
The main problems that I worried about were shutter stucking and aperture preset lever working exactly to make minimun size of aperture in CZJ lens, film back's frame overlap and light leakage.

The result of my usage(Very well upgraded to almost perfect grade)
1. No shutter problem.very smoothly cocked and fired. Continuous 200 time firing of shutter for test,never stucked any time.shutter seepd exactness is very good.

2.All of my CZJ lenses and Russian lenses are mounted perfectly and aperture control at firing moment is exact(some of Kiev 60 does not make the lens aperture under F8,F11,F16,F22) No problem...I decide to forget all the review that was decribed some of CZJ lenses could not be mounted to 88CM(It maybe right to Old 88cm body but 88cm in these days can accept CZJ 80/2.8, 50/4, 180/2.8 lenses perfectly.

3.Frame overlaps not occur, film counter works exactly. I am very impressed really New Type film back.But there is no NT back for 220, a little light leakge at the dark slide entrance side.Light leakage is very very easily fixed for myself and Kievusa told me how to fix it to unscrew 12 screws and tape it and screw again. That is all and very very easy.

Very stable camera more than I expected. Happy to get 88CM for using CJZ lenses.

Strengths
-Very good ratio of price/performance

-Pefectly works with my CZJ lenses biometar 80mm/2.8, Flektogon 50mm/4,Sonnar 180mm/2.8, most of al,l well working to make the aperture small size F:32,f:22,f:16 etc.

-NT back is almost in new way to loading flim and getting out the fim from the back, dark slide folder on back (perfect upgrade)

-Simple MLU function similar to ARAXFOTO.COM

-New SPOT/TTL finder's accuracy

-Exactly woking lens mount lever on body

Weaknesses
- No 220 NT film back

- Slow flash sync speed 1/30" same to Pentax 67(I under stand it is middle format focal plane shutter not lens shutter.)

-Impossible to use preview lever for depth of field on the lens.After mounting this lever be hidden to the 88CM body.

Similar Products Used
Hassel 500CM, Mamiya RB,RZ, 645, C330, Pentax 67,Fuji 645,

Customer Service
A little slow follow up, but respond in time.

Review Date
February 20, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.86 of 5, 14 votes

Reviewed by
a_d_fernandez , Intermediate

Price Paid
$500.00 at www.kievcamera.com

Photography Experience
4 years , Fine Art

Summary
An excellent camera. This camera worked perfectly right out of the box.
I've had over ten rolls through this camera and all have come out flawlessly.
No frame spacing issues, no light leaks, no shutter banding, the meter is excellent,
operation is very smooth, lens is very sharp. I've enlarged up to 15.5x15.5
inches using Delta 400 and Agfa Optima 200 on Agfa 310 glossy and Fuji
Crystal Archive papers, respectively, and the results have been absolutely gorgeous.
I really can't complain about this camera

Strengths
See above.

Weaknesses
Focusing screen is a bit dark in low-light
conditions when using the waist-level
finder.

Similar Products Used
Hasselblad 501.

Customer Service
Excellent

Review Date
January 21, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.56 of 5, 9 votes

Reviewed by
Writertom , Professional

Price Paid
$500.00 at Kiev Camera

Photography Experience
21+ years , People

Summary
I bought this camera direct from Kiev Camera because I live in Atlanta. The camera operates flawlessly. The spot metered prism is accurate, the backs are light leak free, the waistlever is snug, the lenses are accurate, and the pictures produced are wonderful.

Strengths
Price
Customer Service
Wonderful way of getting into serious medium format photography.

Weaknesses
None

Similar Products Used
Bronica ETRSi
Yashica Mat TL
Seagull 107A

Customer Service
I have not had the first problem with the 88CM, however, I had bought a 45mm lens sometime ago from an outfit on the West Coast. It never did work and the outfit on the coast is gone. Mike Fourman (Kiev Camera) took the lens with him on his next trip to Ukraine and had it repaired so that I could use it. Mike is always available by email or the phone, and I have found him more than willing to assist his clients.

Review Date
November 4, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.64 of 5, 11 votes

Reviewed by
Maurice Cloutier , Intermediate

Price Paid
$390.00 at eBay

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Sports

Summary
Great camera have taken many of rolls with great results.

Strengths
Price

Weaknesses
None

Similar Products Used
Yashica twin lens 120
Graflexs 4X5